A fire crew works on a back-fire to prevent the wildfire from crossing Ferretti Rd. on Thursday August 22, 2013, as the Rim Fire has grown to over 36,000 acres in Groveland, Calif. Photo: Michael Macor, San Francisco Chronicle

After speaking with a client this morning, I was reading a news article about the Yosemite wildfire. The TV interviewer was asking about the latest conditions. Lee Bentley of the US Forest Service said “This fire is making its own weather.”

This struck a nerve for me. In speaking with my client, she was concerned that her total employment history wasn’t long enough to justify the position she was applying for. Yet, as I reviewed her resume, she had progressed exactly the way others had done who held that position. The fact that she had done it sooner was a stumbling block for her, not an achievement. She was “making her own weather.”

As a Certified Employment Interview Professional, my job is to help my clients to believe in themselves and their value to a future (or current) employer. The first job is always to get the client to make “positive weather.” If they don’t believe in their value, it’s hard to get someone else to take a chance.

Luckily, we control how we think about things and can change our attitude. I’m sure the US Forest Service wishes they could do that.

Despite the well-known fact that a résumé’s purpose is to land the interview and the interview’s purpose is to land the job, many people focus almost entirely on the résumé. Then when the call comes in for an interview, they wing it. Here are three reasons this is not the best approach:

Sticking points – If there is something in your work history that you are uncomfortable about, it is natural to be apprehensive when it comes up. If you haven’t scripted and practiced your response, you may stumble over your words and not say what you want to say.

Why should I hire you? – Knowing your strengths and skills is not enough. Without practice and rehearsal, getting the answer to come out during the interview is tough. Understanding what the answer should be requires research and preparation about the company, its challenges and the specific position.

It’s about you is not the answer – Focusing on you and your skills alone is not what an employer wants to hear. Focusing on how your skills will solve their problem is the answer. Most people who wing it aren’t prepared to demonstrate this during the interview.

Take the time to prepare before the phone rings for the interview. Commit to doing the research, practicing answers and scripting your responses to the questions you are uncomfortable with. Know what the company needs so you can demonstrate that when asked why they should hire you.

Investment in your future by doing the work now so you don’t wing it during the interview. The payoff is you will find yourself in your new hire orientation much sooner!